


When Pigs Fly, Potter

by Budapest_All_Over_again



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-23
Updated: 2012-10-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 22:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Budapest_All_Over_again/pseuds/Budapest_All_Over_again
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The evolution of a redhead and a stag.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Pigs Fly, Potter

When they first met, he stood on her toe.

She screamed at him.

He fell in love with her.

* * *

He swaggered into her compartment on the Hogwarts Express, three boys standing behind him, and asked to sit down. She'd just gotten there herself, after spending a good twenty minutes looking for an empty compartment for her and the boy she'd met a year earlier at Spinner's End, the one who first showed her that she could do magic. She obliged him, as any girl with manners like hers would. He hustled over to her. Sitting next to the redhead was an obvious choice to make. She was gorgeous. Even at eleven, her fiery hair draped down to her waist and her intelligent green eyes pierced his. He sent her a lopsided grin, and sat down quickly. His foot landed on top of hers, and she howled. She then proceeded to rant at him for the duration of the train ride. He thought she looked so pretty, cheeks pink in anger, nose scrunched as she mocked him. He asked her out (not that any eleven year old really knows what 'asking someone out' meant).

She slapped him. 

* * *

Day in and day out, his insults and her screeches filled the castle. Most students learnt to quickly escape a room occupied by the pair, as every time they saw each other inevitably ended in another spat. It didn't help that they were in the same house, using the same common room. Every argument ended in him asking her out or declaring his love for her in one way or another. And then she told him she'd rather date the giant squid, or she slapped him, or (once she'd mastered a few spells) sent a nasty Bat-Bogey hex his way. She always stormed off, auburn hair flowing out behind her as she stomped away.

* * *

"Leave him alone, Potter."

"Why should I?"

"Because he's my friend."

"Like that matters to me. Anyway, he obviously fancies the pants off of you. Why can't you see that?"

"He does not. Sev and I are friends."

"If you say so. It's your downfall, not mine. And Evans?"

"Merlin, what do you want now?"

"Go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"When pigs fly, Potter."

* * *

He became the most sought-after guy in the castle, with his messy black hair and lopsided grin.

She became the beautiful, intelligent girl who was every boy's fantasy and every teacher's favourite.

Except that wasn't quite the full story.

He was sought-after, yes. But only ever that, nothing more. No-one ever managed to snag the almighty Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and all-round heart-throb. People asked him, of course. Oh, did they ask him. They tried to woo him with short skirts and lipstick-covered mouths. They even tried to slip Amortentia into his morning pumpkin juice every so often. But, much to the girls' (and some guys') dismay, he turned down every advance.

She was sought-after, too. But only ever that, nothing more. Most of the people who approached her found themselves breaking out in pus-filled wounds or strung up by their ankles in the common room for some reason or another. Almost everyone loved her, the bright and brilliant girl with lots of friends and a wicked sense of humour. There were those who thought otherwise, those who had been a victim of her raging redhead temper, but luckily for (almost) everyone, that fury was usually directed at one person in particular. Easy guess for whom that was.

* * *

 

"Potter!"

"Godric, Evans, no need to screech."

"You made him break up with me!"

"I did no such thing. Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Perhaps because you've been chasing me for the last four years? Bit jealous, are we?"

"Why would I be jealous? Why don't you ask your dear Snivellus. I'm sure he would've had something to do with it, seeing as he loves you so mu-"

He didn't have much of a chance to finish his sentence as her fist collided with the underside of his jaw.

* * *

He shouldn't love her. Especially not after everything she's put him through, whether she knows it or not.

But he still does anyway.

* * *

A shadow was being cast over the nation, to use a cliché. There was a man, who called himself Lord Voldemort. He was powerful. Power and ambition are a deadly pair. Anyone not of pureblood descent suddenly found themselves the target of attacks within the castle, performed by various members of Slytherin house. First years were openly attacked in the halls, strung by their ankles from the ceiling in less-used corridors for hours until someone came across them. Older students had possessions set on fire, threatening owls sent to their dormitories, broomsticks jinxed in Quidditch matches. And nothing could make him more furious.

When his Lily (his precious _Muggleborn_ Lily) was in danger, he was furious.

* * *

He found her in the Owlery crying the week before Christmas in their sixth year. She heard his footsteps and looked up at him. For once, she didn't yell at him to go away. She looked vulnerable, cheeks pink, eyes puffy.

"Did they hurt you?" It was obvious who he meant by 'they'. She just shook her head, and handed him a Muggle envelope. He skimmed over the letter quickly, his smile slowly morphing into a frown.

"She doesn't want me back for Christmas." She used the palms of her hands to brush away most of her tears, wiping her hands on her faded jeans. He reached into his satchel, rummaged around quite a bit (undetectable extension charms had their advantages) and found her a box of tissues. Regarding him with what appeared to be an attempt at a smile, she took a few, wiping away the rest of the tears. And then she did the thing that surprised him the most. She started talking. They were there for over an hour. She spoke of the troubles with her sister. She told him about her fear that her best friend was being recruited to the "dark side".

When she finally paused for breath, she looked up at him, dry-eyed and grinning, thanking him for listening. While he was pretending to do homework, a few hours later, he realised that that may have been the first time she'd ever grinned at him like that.

Or at all.

* * *

They were both in shock. At the start of their seventh year, he was announced as Head Boy. Her appointment as Head Girl was no surprise, but him? Ringleader of the school's pranksters? But he reassured her that he wouldn't do anything silly this year, so as to not spoil her final year. Which she thought was oddly sweet of him.

And true to his word, he did nothing of the sort. Sure, there was the occasional prank here and there from the Marauders, but they were so...  _tame_. It actually appeared he had decided to knuckle down on his school work. Which she thought was highly admirable of him.

* * *

"James, I've just been told by McGonagall we have to plan the Halloween celebrations."

"Sounds like fun. When did you start calling me James?"

"When your huge head and equally massive ego deflated a bit."

"You could've told me that earlier. Would've been on the case a long time ago."

"I didn't call you an arrogant, bullying toe-rag for nothing, you know."

"Glad to know, Lily. Now. Halloween. We need something new to do, not the usual feast. Er... kites?"

* * *

He was in shock. After six years of close proximity to each other, he'd finally gotten her to say his first name.

Baby steps, he told himself.

* * *

 

She was in shock. After six years of close proximity to each other, he'd finally gotten her to fall for him. And she hadn't told him. She'd only just been able to say his name, for Merlin's sake.

Baby steps, she told herself.

* * *

Halloween, their first official duty as Head Boy and Girl, went swimmingly. It fell on a Saturday, and they had organised for kites to be available to the sdtudents out in the grounds. The weather was stunning, the sun shone, and the wind was perfect for kite-flying. As she lent out the last one, he came up to stand beside her.

"Hall's set up for the feast. Any kites left?"

"That was the last one, sorry."

They sat down in the grass, watching assorted shapes fly through the sky, reds and yellows and greens dancing against the blue cloudless canvas.

"Is that a pig, or am I seeing things?"

"Merlin, and here was I thinking those glasses were for a purpose other than decoration. Indeed, I do believe that is a pig."

"A flying pig. Ring any bells, Lily?"

"James Potter, just hurry up so I can kiss you already."

"So impatient. Lily, will you go out with me?"

He took the pressing of her lips against his as a yes.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally from my ffn account.


End file.
